The Commandments of Tweeting

I’m working on a report about social media and how companies can evaluate how to use it, without the hype. Kicking around the internet, I found yet another great article by Brian Solis called I Think We Need Some Time Apart, It’s not Me, It’s You which got me thinking more about how business people use Twitter. According to the article, some of the top reasons people stop following someone have to do with being inundated with Tweets or Wall Posts, content that is too self-promoting, or just plain irrelevant.

The key to staying power is to think quality versus quantity; relevance versus frequency. Try not to re-tweet things that are not theme-relevant to your brand. Communicating your brand is more important than your industry niche. So, if you’re the leader in providing personalized service in the insurance industry; tweet about the importance of personal service, ahead of something about insurance regulations. Does that make sense? It does to me. In that spirit, I’ve some up with some “Commandments” of Tweeting. To give kudos where due, there’s another good article on the subject by Scott Nesbitt, entitled To Tweet or Not to Tweet (Do’s and Dont’s of Tweeting for Your Brand). Here are the top commandments that I’m working on (If you follow me, you’ll know when I get there!):

If you must post a pure promotional/commercial; restrict it to 1 x month

Recognize good contributors with shout outs (even if they are competitors)

Thank those who re-tweet your posts

This takes time and thought but will speak volumes about you and your business. The studies I’ve read indicate that the huge initial wave of social media hysteria is beginning to settle, and we’ll start to see the higher quality content that comes with a more discriminating audience.

What do you think? Let me know what you’d add to this list. I should also mention that I’ve also learned a lot about good Tweeting from GregAboveTheRim who conducts regular classes and has lots of great tips.